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Published: July 21st 2007
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Bikes are the way forward
For Christmas I want a bike with a bell & then I'll fit in nicely Well I can't say enough nice things about Hoi An.... I don't think you can visit Vietnam without going to there. There's a real holiday vibe about the town & there are loads of backpackers & couples around. It's preserved as a heritage town so it has a lot of charm & probably hasn't changed an awful lot in the last hundred years. The cycle to the beach was great fun! The shabbiness of the restaurants is authentic with the cats & dogs running around or sitting up on the table, decorated with pretty lanterns everywhere & fairy lights. Grace & I were sitting in a restaurant the other day & I had some local food which included a beef soup....didn't particaularly like it but said I'd make a go of it....well it wasn't long before I put the spoon down & on to the next course......yes it's not that easy to chew a wire scrub....at least you know they're washing the pots & pans! Anyway it's very laid-back & as I said.....a lady's delight with tailors everywhere! & yes I gave quite a few my business....it's important to support local economy!! So in my bid to support the locals
Every girl needs a tailor
Meet Lucy Bu-he won't let you out without giving you the "eyes". You can't leave empty-handed! I'm carrying a rucksack that is busting at the seams & it'll be a miracle if it lasts the year, bullying clothes into the monster bag is a daily struggle!
We took another overnight bus to our next destination, a place called Mui Ne....we'd heard great things about it & the beaches....so after 17 hours on the bus, with a numb arse that is only recovering now.....we were disappointed when we arrived here to find the beaches littered with rubbish & a horrible orange scum on the water. So if I come home with an extra arm or a flesh-eating disease you'll know why! Anyhow there is about an 18km stretch of beach & it wasn't until today....2 days later that we found somewhere where Grace could sunbathe & I could swim....thank goodness for the trusty high nelly.....the bikes are the best way to get about here cause you really wouldn't get very far in the heat here. We've visited the market for our fruit in the morning which would make you think twice about eating meat again.....the raw meat & fish is laid out on a piece of material on the sandy ground with millions of flies having a
The river side cafe
One of my sunburnt days when I prayed for rain...& cursed the sun! feast too while the locals do their shopping....oh & this is from about 6am til about 10 am.....mad! The fruit is good though...fresh pineapple with yogurt...yum yum!
we were at the beach today....desserted where we were....nothing but resorts here & a whole lot of construction but don't know how they all d business cause there are millions of them....anyway I was swimming along when as group of the local fellas started swimming beside me & wanted a race.....so I raced him anyway but he wasn't the fastest fish....he continued to follow me out of the water with his group of friends & they wouldn't get lost...didn't speak English but they knew by our tone of voice that they weren't welcome....wanted stuff from our bags but after a while & a bit of shouted they went on their merry way......so I'll be more careful in the future who I race with!! But generally the people are grand Mam......don't be worrying....we're bigger than most of them anyway......I could probably take him!
We met a fella on the plane that warned us that CHO means dog-meat here so to watch out....saw a bit of it in Hanoi to my digust but delighted to
say that people outside of the city appear to keep dogs for pets & not for the dinner. It's all noodles, rice & pork, beef & shrimp here.....for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Had noodles with pork this morning...traditional Vietnamese dish.....I'm doing as the Romans do! Tasted good.
We're moving on to Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow but it's only about 4-5 hours on the bus.....still I wouldn't mind a pressure-relieving cushion for th journey but that would definitely suck up all the space in the bag. Only staying 2 nights there & then on to the Mekong Delta & taking the bus on in to Cambodia. So that's our plan for the next few days.
Hope all is well at home...I won't talk about beaches now for another while.....considering you're getting wasahed out of it at home & we really haven't experienced this "rainy season" yet....bet I just jinxed myself! Anyway won't see a beach til Thailand.....it's a tough life being on a year-long holiday....really. I'll send a little sunshine you're way with a loving kiss....but you can keep the rain! Best go.....the top layers of my skin have started to molt.....the sunburn made my skin blister on my back,
Happy hour
Enjoying the lassi- yogurt with crushed ice-try it shoulders & arms so I'm a bit like a scaly fish now.....Ariel of the Ocean! & it's the worst thing having skin peeling in the most inaccessible areas.......if only my arms were that bit longer! Right I'm gone. Too much information....
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Michelle
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Red Face
Like the red face Alison, a good look for you! Thought you'd learned your lesson about the sun cream from the pund shop.